Golden Leaves
by Sootfire
Summary: Goldenpaw: The young ThunderClan she-cat blames her father for letting her family fall apart. But somehow, she still finds she has the heart to travel to a land far away to obtain the cure for an illness to help her sick father. Leaf: The she-cat will do everything she can to become a full guardian in the Guardians of the Shadows, and her task is to help Goldenpaw out, somehow.
1. Chapter 1 - Leaf

A dark silhouette stood motionlessly at the top of a grassy hill, gazing down at what lay below, at the base of the hill, and beyond. Not a single movement, except for the fronds of grass waving gently, as the wind rustled the leaves of the trees in the forest below. And above, the deep red sky was beautifully layered with the pale pink shapes of the sunset clouds as they scuttled above.

And just beyond the forest at the base of the hill, there was water, a clear, placid lake, with not even the slightest hint of a splash or ripple, that reflected the exact colors of the sunset above it. And just beyond that, a group of reeds, a flat moorland, and a pine forest.

And then, the silhouette on the hill moved.

Upon closer look, it was a cat, a dark ginger she-cat with a flawless, almost heavenly appearance, contributed by her sleek, thick fur, brilliant emerald eyes, pale ginger paws and steady form. Her breath was soft and warm, mildly ruffling her lighter ginger chest fur as she took a pace forward.

She was a young cat, probably no more than nine or ten moons old.

The dark ginger cat took a few more steps forward, hesitating, then padded over toward a clump of the tallest grasses. Sighing softly, she paced around the clump, which was about the size of a full grown cat, and circled it once before lying down, curling her plumy tail around her forepaws and tucking her hind legs under her.

Before she closed her eyes, however, she lifted her head. "My name is Leaf, and I have reached." With those words, she lay her head down in the soft, tall grass, and shut her bright eyes, which were now dulled slightly from exhaustion.

 _Tomorrow, I'll reach the cat,_ Leaf vowed silently, falling asleep with the image of starry fur in her mind.

* * *

The glaring light of the sun scorching her dark ginger fur woke Leaf the next morning, and she sleepily lifted her head upward, to look towards the pale, blue, cloudless sky. Shaking her fur of the grass, she rose to her pale paws, her eyes still clouded with grogginess.

Then it hit her. _Today, I'll reach the cat._

It was as though a bolt of energy had struck Leaf. She was immediately steady on her paws, her green eyes gleaming with excitement as she lifted her tail in anticipation. Drawing in a deep, hopeful breath, she padded down the gentle slope of the grassy hill.

Leaf was a shadowpath in a group of cats that lived far from here, called the Guardians of the Shadows, and this journey would determine whether she was ready to become a full shadow guardian or not. The Shadow Guardians were cats who had a drop of spirit in their blood, that is, they were born to help. Each cat had their own way of finding out which were the right cats to guide, and for Leaf, it was starry fur.

So the Shadow Guardians lived as a group, guiding other cats.

And if Leaf succeeded in helping the right cat on this mission, she would become a true Guardian. And she was sent to this forest, to help another cat... she didn't quite know who, yet. All she knew was that the cat who appeared to her to have stars in his or her fur, long enough for her to notice, was the cat she needed to guide.

Leaf swallowed as she padded toward a strongly-scented border, then took a pace back, a little hesitant.

 _I have to do this,_ she told herself silently, then padded over the scent marker. _Even if it means temporarily joining this group of cats._ She tried to act as casual as possible, like an unsuspecting loner, as she swerved around trees, sniffing carefully.

"Stop!" Leaf pricked her ears, a little startled, as a commanding yowl sounded. Heartbeats later, a dark gray tom, a light brown tabby she-cat, and a smaller, golden-furred she-cat, who looked about Leaf's size, stepped out toward her from behind a large clump of bushes. Leaf guessed it was the tom who had spoken. "What are you doing on our territory?"

"I wanted to see your... leader..." Leaf murmured, though she did, very well.

The light brown tabby narrowed her eyes. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"You might say that," Leaf replied.

"Then what do you want with ThunderClan's leader?" the dark gray tom asked, his tail twitching ever so slightly, as his half-hostile, half-curious blue stare met her interested green one.

 _Oh, Sun Shadows, I hope I'm doing the right thing!_ Leaf stepped forward. "I wanted to join... uh... ThunderClan. My name is Leaf."

The small golden she-cat stepped toward her, her blue eyes twinkling. And as she did, Leaf stiffened in surprise, eyeing her golden fur, which somehow, seemed to be twinkling with small stars. _Stars!_ Her heart soared as she realized this was the right cat. "We'll take you to our camp!" the she-cat mewed, sounding pleased. "My name's Goldenpaw."

"Very well," the dark gray tom mewed slowly, with the faintest hint of exasperation at the younger cat, as though he was a little annoyed that the she had given away too much information to Leaf. "We will take you to our leader."

"I am Duskfire," the tabby she-cat mewed, stepping forward. "And this is Pebblestorm."

 _Now, we're getting somewhere,_ Leaf thought, with a small twinge of anticipation. _And I hope the excuse I have to tell the leader is convincing... and I hope I don't have to remain a part of ThunderClan forever._

"Come on!" Duskfire called, and Leaf padded after her, stepping toward Goldenpaw.

"You're Goldenpaw, right?" Leaf asked curiously.

The young she-cat nodded. "I'm an apprentice of ThunderClan!" She puffed out her chest importantly, turning to stare at Leaf, who shot her a confused look. "Oh, that means, I'm learning to become a warrior, and Duskfire's my mentor! She trains me to hunt and fight."

"How old are you?" Leaf asked, hoping the question didn't sound too awkward.

Goldenpaw shot her a skeptical look before replying. "I'm nine moons."

"So am I!" Leaf mewed brightly, glad that the cat she was supposed to help was her own age, which would make it easier to talk to her. "So, what do you think your leader... whoever... will do to me?" Her tail twitched in false indifference, though inside, her heart felt as though it would burst. _What if the leader throws me out?_

Her worry must have shown on her face, because Goldenpaw purred comfortingly, and pressed against her, before pulling away. Leaf's green eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't pull away. "Don't worry; Cinderstar's a reasonable cat, and I'm sure she'll agree to having you stay. I hope so, anyway." Leaf slightly stumbled over a root, but Goldenpaw moved closer to her, steadying her. "Look; here we are."

* * *

"Go on," Goldenpaw encouraged, nudging Leaf slightly in the direction of a small den. "That's Cinderstar's den." Leaf's fur was fluffed up, her eyes wide with anxiety. "She won't send you away without good reason, really." Leaf flashed a shaky smile in her new friend's direction, before padding after Pebblestorm, into the den, while Goldenpaw and Duskfire padded away.

"Pebblestorm." The voice belonged to a she-cat, and Leaf saw a fluffy gray she-cat step toward them. "What brings you here?"

Pebblestorm hesitated, before replying. "This is a cat who wants to join our clan. She says her name is Leaf." _I can speak for myself, thank you very much!_ Leaf bit back the retort, as Cinderstar calmly nodded, her blue eyes not giving away anything.

"Thank you." She flicked her tail dismissively, a signal for Pebblestorm to leave.

Once the dark gray tom left, Leaf started to feel her neck fur bristle with - was it _fear?_ For a few long heartbeats, the two she-cats stared at each other in complete silence. And then, Cinderstar spoke. "Greetings."

Leaf swallowed. "Hello."

"You want to join ThunderClan, yes?" Cinderstar asked, and Leaf dipped her dark ginger head. "Why?"

 _Oh, Sun Shadows._ Leaf hadn't prepared an answer for that.

"Well... I was a loner," she lied, "and I thought the clans sounded interesting, and I want to join ThunderClan." The excuse was weak, but Leaf couldn't think of anything else at the moment. She stared at her light ginger paws, studying them closely.

Cinderstar tipped her head to one side. "Leaf, there was a reason I was made leader. And I can see through your lie very easily. Now tell me, why are you really here?"

Leaf froze. Now, there was no real option but the truth. But her jaws seemed frozen together.

When Cinderstar spoke again, her voice was gentle. "Leaf, I won't be angry or anything."

Leaf gritted her teeth, determined. "I come from far away, from a group of cats called the Guardians of the Shadows." Cinderstar narrowed her eyes in interest. "And our job is to help certain cats. I mean, we each have a different way of finding who is the right cat we need to help. For me, I see a cat with stars in her fur. And that cat is in the clan."

Cinderstar seemed thoughtful. "You say _her._ Do you have a cat in mind?"

"I already know," Leaf mewed quietly. "It's the apprentice Goldenpaw."

Cinderstar nodded. "I'm not a fool. I will accept help when it is needed. Goldenpaw, you say?"

Leaf nodded. "But could you treat me as a normal cat in your clan? Because I need to return when my job here is done, and I don't want the clan to figure out about who... what... I really am too soon. I only want them to know after I leave. Is that too much to ask?"

"No, it's fine. You seem about the same age as Goldenpaw," she mewed thoughtfully, and Leaf dipped her head. "Make sure you tell Goldenpaw later on, though."

"I will... when I'm ready."

Cinderstar dipped her head, slowly. "I don't believe you're lying, Leaf. And I believe you. That's what counts." There was a long pause. "I will make you an apprentice once you get to know everyone in camp."

Leaf's green eyes shone. "Thank you."


	2. Chapter 2 - Goldenpaw

Though the two had only met earlier that day, Goldenpaw felt that she could trust Leaf. Really, there was something about her that... well... that invited her to confide everything in her. While the rest of the camp grieved the death of a kit by deathberry poisoning, earlier this morning, Leaf radiated warmth, and comfort. It was odd. Still, Goldenpaw knew that there was more to Leaf than she was letting on.

And it pained her that Leaf didn't trust her enough to tell her.

Goldenpaw padded towards the fresh-kill pile, almost charging straight into her father, Rockflame, who jumped away, a little startled. But as Goldenpaw tore off a clump from a small vole, Rockflame padded towards her, his amber eyes soft and caring. Goldenpaw's mother, Cloudfur, had died in a battle with WindClan, a few moons before.

And then, there was Moonriver, a rogue who had joined the clan about a moon before Cloudfur died. But Goldenpaw didn't think there was anything related between Leaf and Moonriver, though. Anyway, she didn't know Moonriver well at all.

But she didn't know what to make of Leaf.

"What are you thinking about?" Rockflame, a dark brown tabby tom, blinked warm amber eyes.

Goldenpaw turned away after picking at the vole's bones. "Nothing."

"You're thinking about Leaf, aren't you?"

"How did you find out about-"

Rockflame rolled his eyes, cutting her off. "The entire clan, or, at least, most of it, saw you, Duskfire, and Pebblestorm bring that loner into camp earlier. And Pebblestorm told me that her name was Leaf." He flicked his tail. "Anyway, you're thinking about her, aren't you?"

"What if I am?" Goldenpaw retorted, meeting his amber gaze with her challenging blue stare.

"What do you think about her?" Rockflame asked, ignoring her sharpness.

Goldenpaw shrugged. "She's a decent cat, even if she's not a ThunderClan warrior. I got to know her a little on the way back from the patrol, and she's friendly." She jumped to her paws, padding away, not wanting to give any of her thoughts away, not even to her father.

And at that moment, Leaf padded out of Cinderstar's den, looking happy, but under that happiness, there was... relief... in her gaze. _Was joining the clan so important to her?_ Goldenpaw thought, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. _If so, why?_

Leaf bounded over to greet her, her dark ginger fur catching the sunlight. "Guess what? Cinderstar agreed to let me stay in the clan!" Goldenpaw brightened immediately, then pressed against her, which she returned by touching her nose to hers. Goldenpaw didn't know why she felt so relieved. Normally, she wouldn't care if a former loner got to stay in the clan... but Leaf was different. It was a feeling that Leaf would benefit her somehow.

"Great!" Goldenpaw mewed warmly.

Leaf looked solemly into her eyes. "Can you show me around camp? Cinderstar said she'll hold a meeting soon!"

"Of course!" Goldenpaw beckoned to her with her golden tail, padding ahead of Leaf, her heart light. Leaf padded after her, purring, her tail high as she caught up to the golden apprentice. Goldenpaw padded towards the apprentices' den, _her_ den, as there were no other apprentices at the moment. Of course, that would change once Leaf joined her. "This is the apprentices' den!" she mewed brightly. "It's where you'll sleep, and I sleep. There aren't any other apprentices, though."

"That must be lonely," Leaf remarked.

Goldenpaw narrowed her eyes. "It must be lonelier to live as a loner, though," she mewed slyly. _Now, maybe I can find something new out about her._ For a heartbeat, she thought Leaf stiffen, but then, she relaxed, and shrugged.

"This is the warriors' den," Goldenpaw announced. "And over there's the nursery. That's where the queens and kits stay. The kits move to the apprentices' den when they're six moons old." Leaf nodded, looking intrigued.

"So will I become an apprentice?" Leaf asked wonderingly.

"Yeah." Goldenpaw dipped her head, then padded on. "That's the elders' den. Smoketail is kind enough, but Dappleflower is rather-" Leaf had already pushed past her, and heartbeats later, there came a long snarl. "-grumpy," she finished glumly, and Leaf slipped back out, looking rather worried.

"Why do they stay there?"

"They're too old to be warriors, so they retired. And as an apprentice, it's my job to look after them," Goldenpaw huffed. Her lowered her voice. "Unfortunately."

Leaf purred in amusement. "Do they have ticks?"

"Only too many," Goldenpaw growled. "StarClan knows where they pick up so many."

Leaf frowned. "StarClan?"

Goldenpaw jumped back. _She doesn't know StarClan!_ "That's our word for the spirits of our warrior ancestors. What do you say, instead?"

"I say the _Sun's Shadow,"_ Leaf mewed slowly. "But it means about the same as yours."

Goldenpaw shrugged padding past her. "This is the medicine den, and the medicine cats are the ones who heal the clan. Poppyheart's a nice cat, but the only reason she's a medicine cat is because she had some accident when she was an apprentice, and she would never be able to breathe properly again."

Leaf made a sympathetic sound.

"And her apprentice, Twistpaw, was born with a twisted paw."

Leaf looked incredulous. "Are only injured cats allowed to be medicine cats?"

Goldenpaw flicked her tail under Leaf's nose, purring in amusement. "No. If a cat wants to become a medicine cat, he can. Anyway, you're not planning on becoming a medicine cat if something happens to Twistpaw or Poppyheart, right?"

Leaf shook her head. "No, I'm not."

"Yeah, so that's it-" Goldenpaw began, but a she-cat's yowl cut her off, and both she and Leaf swung their heads toward the Highledge to see Cinderstar let out a call.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!" Goldenpaw shot Leaf an excited glance, with she returned with one of anticipation and nervousness. Goldenpaw paused for a few heartbeats, then bounded towards the base of the Highledge, her eyes gleaming with happiness for her friend. "As you know, a former loner wishes to join the ranks of ThunderClan."

Was it her imagination, or did Cinderstar slightly hesitate before the words _former loner?_

"Leaf is about the same age as Goldenpaw, so if she works hard enough, she may be able to receive her warrior name around the same time as Goldenpaw." A bit of murmuring broke out through the crowd, and one cat, a jet-black tom with white paws, pushed his way to the front.

"Cinderstar, you're taking too many rogues into ThunderClan! Soon enough, there won't be such a thing as Clan blood!"

Goldenpaw leaned toward Leaf. "That's Whitefoot," she murmured. "He... he's not the most amiable cat." Leaf didn't reply. Goldenpaw followed her gaze to where Cinderstar answered Whitefoot.

"And have you forgotten that the great leaders, Thunder, Shadow, River, Wind, and Sky, were formerly rogues or loners?" Cinderstar retorted, not even bothering to stop her fur from bristling as she glared at the black tom.

Whitefoot said nothing, just shot Leaf a small glare before sitting down again.

Leaf's fur bristled beside her. Goldenpaw placed her tail on Leaf's back. "Don't worry, Whitefoot may not be a friend, but he's completely loyal to the clan." Leaf nodded, and anxiety flared in her green eyes as Cinderstar continued to speak.

"Leaf, step forward."

Goldenpaw shot her an encouraging look as Leaf padded forward.

"From this moment onward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Leafpaw." Leaf - no, Leafpaw - seemed to be pleased with her new name. Cinderstar's next words startled Goldenpaw. "I believe Leafpaw will need very careful guidance on her path to becoming a warrior, thus I will mentor her myself."

 _Lucky!_ Goldenpaw thought, but she was rather glad she didn't have Cinderstar as a mentor. _Cinderstar's probably going to be a really strict mentor. I'm glad she's not my mentor._ Goldenpaw watched as Cinderstar leaped down from the Highledge to gently touch her nose to Leafpaw's.

Goldenpaw was one of the first cats to yowl Leafpaw's name to the skies, and then, the clan joined in. "Leafpaw! Leafpaw!"

Leafpaw shook out her dark ginger fur, then leaned in to whisper to Goldenpaw. "That wasn't so bad. I thought she'd be testing me or something."

Goldenpaw purred. "Congratulations, Leafpaw."

And the two of them touched noses for a long heartbeat.


End file.
